Growing up, Elijah was homeschooled and Mikaela went to public school, so they never even met until Mikaela's junior year of high school. They had a large mutual friend group but rarely ended up at the same get-togethers. One of the first times they officially met was playing tennis at the city park.

The night it really all began though, Mikaela was supposed to be in trouble and not allowed to go anywhere that night. Somehow, by a miracle, her parents decided to let her go hammock camping with her girlfriends. Little did the parents know, it was our whole mutual friend group planning to go hammock camping and hang out around a fire.

Mikaela, barely even knowing Elijah, texted him and asked if he was planning to go. She wasn't even sure what possessed her to ask him that. But he texted back and said, "sure, why not."

That beautiful night they sat up talking for hours even after everyone else had fallen asleep.

A few days later Mikaela texted him and asked if he would want to hang out again because she was afraid that Elijah would ever work up the courage to initiate hanging out. He said he would like that and for the next three months they hung out often and hammocking was their "thing."

On November 26th, Elijah asked Mikaela to be his girlfriend.

They were 17 and 18 at that time and Mikaela was a senior in high school. Then, in December of her senior year of college, Elijah (with the help of her sister Raley) proposed to Mikaela. It was the perfect proposal. Oh, and she said yes obviously!

Hotel Accomodations

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Salem, an IHG Hotel